A Lifetime by the Bedside
by BrownieCrumbs
Summary: Max is fatally wounded in battle and trapped in a coma.  Swapping between the flock's point of view at her bedside and Max's dream world, will she ever wake?
1. Come Back

**I do not own Maximum Ride! :D**

**A Lifetime by the Bedside****  
>Chapter 1: Fang - Come Back <strong>

'She's still breathing,' Iggy tried to appear cheerful.

I gripped Max's hand tighter, perhaps thinking that the pain would snap her out of it and then she could go balistic and hit me in the gut. I wanted her to hit me, to snap me out of this depression and tell me to get over myself. I needed her to pelt me with punch after punch, hit after hit. I needed her to just _be._

She didn't even stir.

'I'm going to get something to eat,' Iggy excused himself, giving me and Max some time alone.

He eased himself out of his seat slowly, still not fully familiarised with the surrounding hospital ward.

'Want anything?' he asked, running a hand through his blonde mop.

I shook my head slightly, my gaze not leaving Max for a second, worrying that if my attention was swayed for even a moment she would dissapear. Gradually, Iggy's footsteps became faint until they were non-existent to my ears. Cautiously, I stroked Max's hair away from her closed eyes. She appeared fragile there in that hospital bed, though I knew she was much the opposite and that was what we loved her for. Feisty, let's go get them, Max. Her spirit was indestructable, but I had fooled myself into believing that she was too. Her, _our_, mortality had never appeared to have be a problem before. We were super kids Gazzy would always claim proudly, shoving his hoody on top of his head so it flapped behind him like a cape as he soared through the sky with outstreched arm, aiming for the horizon. Max had promised to buy him a red one so he could properly pull off the superman impersonation. So many promises... We had drawn the line at the underwear over the pants though. I smiled at that thought.

Dr Martinez had told us that talking to the comotozed patients helped. I've never been much of a talker, but I was willing to try anything to get her back.

'M-,' I started, but my throat was raw. I reached out for the glass of water on the side table and took a small sip. 'Max,' I started again, 'Max?' I let out a frustrated sigh and knotted my hands together tightly. Why was this so hard? Oh yeah, because Max was in a coma and it was a distinct possibility that she was never coming back to us, to me. 'Help me out Max,' I murmured, 'you can't leave me alone with these kids. They need you... _I_ need you.'

Leaning over her I kissed her lightly on the forehead.

'Come back to us.'

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><p><strong>AN This is mainly just an introduction to the story so following chapters will be longer :)**  
><strong>Please R&amp;R and tell me what you think of the idea ;)<strong>

**BrownieCrumbs  
>x<strong>


	2. Dreaming, in a sense

**I do not own Maximum Ride! :D**

**A Lifetime by the Bedside****  
>Chapter 2: Max – Dreaming, in a sense<strong>

I groggily opened my eyes. The sun had long sunk into its cavern, but a blazing light seared through my lids, devastating my corneas. I groaned at the throbbing pain in my left leg more. What had happened? Pushing myself steadily up on my elbows, I spat my hair out of my mouth. I was caked in ash and the trees around me were _burning_. Coughing violently on the thick suffocating smoke I felt a wet residue on my hand. Blood. I shook my head in an attempt to clear it but just ended up disorientating myself even more and I began to see spots.

'Fang?' I called out.

If they were here they were in trouble. Pushing the pain to the back of my mind I tried to stand, but ended up crumpling to the floor in agony, no stronger than a paper bag.

'Aah!' I cursed, 'crap.'

Looking down I gasped in disgust and gritted my teeth.

'God,' I muttered as I saw the white bone of my left leg jerking out from the skin. It was gruesome with blood pouring from it, but it looked more black than red, like tar. Taking in a shaky breath I probed the area, wincing. There's no time for this, I thought. We had to get out.

'Guys? U and A, like _now_!' I shouted out, 'I'll find you!'

I didn't even know if they were here. Would they leave me? I hoped so. Ok, deep breaths Max, been through much worse than this. Just a scratch, just a scratch. Setting my hands delicately on either side of my leg I started the countdown, 'three, two...' I yelped out at the torment as I reset the bone and a stray tear trickled down my cheek. No tears Max, I thought. They kept coming unrelentingly.

'Stop it!' I screamed, frustrated.

Although I hated to admit it, I was scared, terrified even. I couldn't even remember how I had gotten here and I worried for the flock. Hearing the destruction around me, the collapse of the forestry, the sizzling and crackling of the flames, like a barbeque, I scolded myself. 'Get over it,' I muttered furiously. 'I am sure as hell not gonna be a burger.' Limping to my feet, I choked further on the fumes. Ducking low, I strained my eyes, searching for what I did not know. I flapped my wings lightly, attempting to clear the air, but they were stiff and even the smallest of movements caused me discomfort. It appeared to be a fruitless idea nevertheless; it was like smearing dirt over glass. Surveying the bleary scene around me I saw two legs, standing perfectly still and composed.

'What are you doing?' I screeched whilst dragging my leg behind me as I drew closer in a one legged run, still keeping my head low. Part of me was touched that someone had waited for me, but another, more dominant, part of me was furious at their stupidity. Reaching out for them I caught a shoulder and partially collapsed.

'Max!' he beamed at me.

I stopped breathing. What? No, it couldn't be, that was impossible. He was dead. My brother was dead. Ari was gone, yet he was right _there_. Tears flooded my vision once more and I sobbed, 'I don't understand.'

The boy standing before me was no longer ragged and beastly, a cruel creation of science, an experiment. He was a normal, human boy - no wings attached. His dirty brown hair flopped over his eyes and I weakly lifted my hand to sweep it away. He was _real_. The soft touch of his skin, smooth and flawless, the little smile he wore, heart-breaking.

'Long time no see,' he said. I could sense his awkwardness at my emotional reaction. High on adrenaline and pain I suddenly felt drained and slumped further into Ari's arms, my eyes starting to shut. 'Easy now,' I heard him caution. The creaking of the roots straining sounded loudly in my ears. The fall of a grand tree, surrendering to gravity, crashing towards us was the last thing I saw. I should have been up and ready for action, to avert the disaster literally falling upon us, but there was a force stopping me. No longer feeling frightened, I allowed myself to just disappear.

I woke up, bobbing up and down on Ari's back. My teeth knocked together and I bit my tongue, hard. I cursed myself and used an inappropriate word which Ari tutted at.

'You're awake,' he smiled, setting me down on my feet tentatively.

We were out of the flames now, instead, walking up a country road. The stark contrast in scenery was so distinct that I had to pause and do a full 360. The air was still and it seemed as if there was no human life, no life whatsoever in fact.

'Wh-where are we?' I asked, still trying to gather what was going on.

Ari shrugged.

'Is that all I get? I'm sorry if you're all blasé about this Ari, but I am kind of freakin' out!' I yelled, pulling at my hair which had the same texture as a bird's nest.

'It's _your_ head,' Ari chortled.

Gathering my clueless expression, Ari knocked on my forehead lightly with his fist.

'Where is the rest of the flock?' I digressed, looking to the sky in the hope of finding them floating there, laughing, as if this was all some kind of sick joke.

'You're distracting yourself Max because you are starting to remember what's really going on, and you are more scared of accepting that than anything.'

My eyes widened and I hit the side of my head with the flat of my palm, 'what am I remembering?' I muttered to myself, irritated at my own idiocy. There was something there, I could tell, but it was staying concealed from me.

'Walk with me,' Ari requested, continuing to amble up the road, leaving me behind in my confusion. It was a steep hill and I dwelled on the pain my leg would have to endure in this trivial task.

Almost like reading my thoughts Ari shook his finger in the air, still having his back to me, 'it's all in your head Max.'

I still didn't know what this meant, but started to walk. One foot in front of the other was all I could focus on. I much preferred flying, but this would do - for now. Looking up at the white puffs of clouds, like cotton wool, I dreamed of resting on one and sleeping off this perplexity.

'Clear your head,' Ari advised, 'shouldn't be too hard for you.'

His cheek any other day would have made me smile but the thought that he knew more than me only made me angry. I had no control, none whatsoever. Jogging lightly to his side casually I realised that the pain was gone, but as soon as my thoughts returned to the idea of pain it coursed through my body once more, rapidly. The burning sensation, like a branding iron scarring my skin, on my leg made me cry out. My lower lip quivered and mucus drizzled out of my nose. Ari looked at me sympathetically, but did not appear distressed.

'Max,' he said simply, his tone almost superior, as if he pitied a mere child.

'How do I make it stop?' I asked, forcing my voice to sound calm and steady.

Sighing, Ari began nonchalantly, 'What did you have for lunch?'

'What? Quit with the small talk Ari and tell me what the hell is going on here!' I ordered, 'is this some wacky experiment at the School? Are the others ok? Did they get them too?'

The thought of their angelic faces behind bars made me want to cry harder. The sight of Fang looking on sorrowfully, his eyes a darker tint of dark with anguish, flooded my mind.

The pain had a new intensity then and I crouched to the ground, my hand on my chest.

'Answer the question,' Ari said patiently. It seemed like a game to him.

'Angel persuaded some sappy baker to give us a week's supply of croissants,' I blurted out, then laughed at the memory. My reaction was too much, but I continued to laugh hysterically.

Ari nodded with a smile.

'And what was the last thing you said to Iggy?'

It all seemed irrelevant, but it was as if the pain was dissolving away.

'I told him to stop being such a sexist pig and let Nudge handle some of the explosives. Crap, why did I do that?' I continued to laugh and had to wipe away tears forming in my eyes, but it was not from pain. Not from any pain at all.

'Now, do you think you can focus on that, just so we can get there?' Ari asked hopefully.

'Where's 'there'?' I asked, still giggling.

I had to stifle it with my hand and I bit down on it hard. I was numbed completely. It was as if the thoughts of the flock were the best anaesthetic _ever. _I was just about controlling the giddiness and started to walk.

'Never you mind,' Ari commented.

After a few moments of silent drudgery up the hill we approached a cliff that looked out over the sea, the waves crashing against the rocky base. Suddenly, startling me, a fierce wind whipped our hair around our faces. I tried to clear it from my vision, tucking strands behind my ears, but I was mainly unsuccessful. Ari looked out at the infinite body of water, his expression as hard as stone.

'Ari?' I asked with concern in my voice. I touched his arm lightly. A thought had occurred to me up the country road and it was not exactly a thought I was becoming fond of quickly. Turning to me slowly he gave me another small smile, but it was forced.

'A-Am I _dead_?'

Laughing darkly he shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans and shook his head. Relief washed over me like the waves and I took a deep breath of sea air, closing my eyes.

'You're not safe yet though Max,' he uttered seriously.

Opening my eyes, I didn't look at him, just out at the sea. I had an urge to jump then, to dive into the depths and swim hard until I had nothing left to give. I could just float on the surface, allowing the current to take me wherever it pleased. Not certain exactly why I did this, but I did, I flicked the air. Like jelly, it wobbled back and forth before settling back into place. Ari kicked a rock off the ledge and into the water. Almost in slow motion, the water rippled outwards and I watched in fascination.

'Am I _dreaming_?' I asked quietly.

Ari shrugged again, 'in a sense. You were badly hurt Max.'

'How bad?' I dared ask.

Ari looked at me solemnly and just said one word to sum up the situation, 'bad.'

And then he was gone. Ari was just gone, disappeared into thin air. And I was alone, dreaming, in a sense, and trapped in this jelly like world.

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><p><strong>AN Hello readers :) Hope you enjoyed this chapter :) pretty please with a cherry on top review :D Any feedback means a lot ;)**

**BrownieCrumbs**  
><strong>x<strong>


	3. Won't do anything

**I do not own Maximum Ride! :D**

**A Lifetime by the Bedside****  
>Chapter 3: Angel – Won't do anything<strong>

Cuddling up to Max has to be one of my favouritest things _ever_. I picked at her hair, pretty hair, and let it fall on my face. I scrunched up my nose, it tickled.

'Careful,' Gazzy warned, 'or she'll attack!'

Gazzy did some silly karate chops in the air, thinking he had gone all ninja. After this he continued to inhale what must have been his tenth triple chocolate cookie. He had a big chocolate-y moustache and I pointed at it, bursting into a fit of giggles. Iggy tickled me and I squealed like a little pig.

'Iggy!' I moaned, thrashing my arms out on the bed, trying not to hit Max.

'She won't attack, she won't do _anything_,' Nudge said quietly. She was sitting cross-legged in the corner, all alone. Well, that spoiled the mood.

Fang tensed at this and bowed his head lower. If it got any lower it would have been resting on Max's arm.

'Yeah, no-one would want to mess with _you_,' Gazzy cackled. 'You scary.'

I spat my tongue out at him and kicked out, but my legs were too short to reach his stupid face.

'She's just really tired,' Iggy bent down to Nudge, giving her a little squeeze.

'She'll wake up soon?' Nudge mumbled gripping him tightly, her dark hair pouring over his shoulders.

Iggy hesitated, it was so obvious, but he eventually said, 'yeah, soon.'

Fang rushed out of the room then, looking very stiff and tense. Frowning, I rolled off the bed and followed him. Up the corridor I found him leaning against the wall, staring at the floor. Skipping up to him I asked nosily, 'what ya doing?'

He shrugged, 'looking at the floor.' I already knew that, _boys_. He looked really sad though and that made me sad. Fang was known to be a bit gloomy but this was something different.

'You know she loves you?' I asked, standing closer so I could rest my head on his arm, 'she won't leave us.'

I was certain of this. Max was Max, reliable Max. Admittedly she would often make silly avoidable decisions which _I_ could have easily avoided if people would just listen to me more often, but we needed her here, she was the glue which kept us all together. Fang patted my head lightly and sighed.

'Trust her,' I beam up at him before skipping away to anywhere a bit happier and a little less gloomy.

**Nudge – Bribery**

I didn't feel like talking. Cradling my knees to my chest I buried my head, unable to look at Max like this. Iggy had said that she was sleeping, but I knew that wasn't it. To make him feel better I went along with the charade, but I think deep down he knew the truth. I don't think Gazzy understood though.

'Hey Max,' he smiled at her, 'do you want a cookie?'

Obviously there was no response, so, shrugging dismissively he shovelled another dozen into his mouth.

'Save some for her,' Iggy cautioned, smacking Gazzy's hand out of the packet.

Gazzy pouted and, seeming bored, flipped open his DS and continued playing some game. What game, I didn't know and I didn't care. I wanted Max back. I wanted her to stroke my hair and tell me everything was going to be ok. I wanted her to take me on that shopping spree I had tricked her into promising. I wanted to shower her with gifts, give her all of my shoes, even though they were two sizes too small for her, give her anything and everything so that I could somehow bribe her into staying with us just a little bit longer.

Fang came in then. He had left before, quite suddenly. His eyes looked red and he returned to his usual position at Max's bedside, taking her hand, muttering things to her which were incoherent to the rest of us. Crawling out from my corner I plonked myself on his lap. He smiled at me and I smiled back. They were brave smiles, forced smiles, false smiles. Resting my hand on top of his which was on top of Max's I prayed that somehow she knew we were here, waiting.

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><p><strong>AN hope you liked it :) As you can probably tell, the chapters with the rest of the flock in the real world will be somewhat shorter because I am confining them to Max's room, for now. If you think that these are too short then please let me know and I'll do something to try and fix that ;)**

**Members of the flock will be making appearences in Max's dream world too! So please keep reading! :D  
><strong>**Again, all reviews are appreciated ;)**

**BrownieCrumbs  
>x<strong>


	4. Reunited?

**I do not own Maximum Ride! :D**

**A Lifetime by the Bedside****  
>Chapter 4: Max – Reunited?<strong>

After Ari had abandoned me I had scuttled into a nearby cave. The heavens had opened and an almighty downpour came hammering down. I then felt like a drenched street rat, hiding in the dark depths of my imagination. I wasn't so sure whether I would like what I found. I was apprehensive as to whether I knew myself well enough not to fear what could arise. I was alone.

Sitting cross-legged on the damp earth, I watched in awe. The raindrops rebounded off the ground and floated, suspended in the air, like bubbles. Managing a small smile, I poked one which drifted towards me. It exploded, forming an array of colours before disappearing completely.

'Geez,' I murmured, 'I certainly have an active imagination.'

I no longer felt tired, in fact, I felt high on energy, like I had just consumed a ton of coffee; and believe me I have come close to that on one of my bad mornings. Fidgeting for a moment, I finally surrendered and got to my feet. I needed to get out of here. Ari had said that I had been hurt bad, but that wasn't really giving me much to go on. I doubted this was one of those dreams where you could just pinch yourself and wake up. Sigh. I knew nothing, nadda, zip, zilch. Nothing was ever straight forward in my life, and now, it appeared that my life hung in the balance.

'Max?'

Someone had just called my name. I was certain. My attention piqued, I wondered deeper into the cave, attempting to find the source.

'Can you hear me? Most likely, not.'

Fang. Oh my God it was him, cynical as always. I felt so relieved my heart began to hammer harder inside my chest. I strained my eyes, searching, but I couldn't find him. His low timbre reverberated off the walls, but his sullen face was nowhere to be seen. Thunder rumbled outside, causing me to listen harder.

'Fang?' I called out into the inky blackness. 'I'm here!' Please hear me, I thought.

I needed some light. Light... light...

And heaven behold, let there be light! I never thought I'd be able to say that. The cave was then aglow from the heart of it. It grew until there was a healthy sized beam surrounding me. It was like I was in the centre of a stage performance, but I didn't know my lines, I didn't know my next move.

'Give her time,' I heard another, calmer, voice say. Iggy.

'She's had enough bloody time,' I heard Fang say. It was very bitter and sounded as though it had been said through gritted teeth. I winced.

'Come on Max. For God's sake I know you're a girl and all, but I didn't take you for one of those who took _forever_ to get ready.'

There was some laughter then and I smiled through tears.

'That was pretty good,' Iggy complimented.

Although I thought I had been getting closer to them, their voices were growing fainter. It was some cruel trickery of my mind. Searching frantically, I ran to all corners, listening intently, sometimes even pressing my ear to the cool jagged walls. Their voices were then just murmurs and still fading.

'No!' I screamed, pulling at my hair, kicking the wall in disappointment.

They were gone.

_Go home, Max._

'Aah, crap,' I muttered sourly. The voice, my voice, whoever or whatever it was, was back. Suddenly, without warning, the walls of the cave started to expand outwards, moving towards infinite until I was left unsheltered. I began to feel agoraphobic. The rain infiltrated my clothing and I shivered, staring at the sky. Staggering back, my eyes met several hulking bodies flying ungracefully towards me – Erasers. My hands clenched into fists, I set my feet firmly in the ground, ready to take my frustration out of them – the perfect anger management, I thought. These guys had inflicted enough pain on me and my family and they were here in my world too. Their existence had scarred my memory so drastically that they had seeping through the cracks into this world, _my _world. Bearing their ugly yellowed canines, they landed clumsily in front of me, as elegant as elephants in dire need of weight watchers' meetings.

'Bring it,' I challenge, flexing my hands, my breathing becoming deeper.

Without hesitation, they lunged for me, claws lashing out. Not in the slightest phased, I am so professional at times, I swiftly went into a side kick. One of the Erasers crumbled to the floor. It felt good to inflict pain. It grunted and spat blood, colouring the saliva that drooled from its grizzly mouth. The rain and mutt combination evoked the stench of wet dog and I moaned in disgust. Growling fiercely, another began to snap at my throat. My hair plastered to my face, view slightly obscured, I had to sweep it away with one hand whilst easily punching the mutt in the jaw.

'Come on guys, you are losing your touch. Show me what you've got,' I invited, lightly jumping on the balls of my feet, circling them, as if herding a flock of sheep. They growl at me in unison with the thunder overhead. A single bolt of lightning tore the sky open, leaving a red gash, as if the sky was wounded too. An Eraser went for the plunge - I could not decide whether it was brave or just idiotic. It clawed at my stomach, but I jumped back and it missed. Another tried to take out my knees, but I jumped high and its greedy claw scraped the ground. I landed several high kicks and smiled in satisfaction as I heard the breath forcibly escaping their lungs. Taken by surprise, one latched onto my back, tugging at my hair.

'Foul play,' I called through gritted teeth. In a struggle, I kicked out at the remaining Erasers whilst trying to unlatch the one on my back. Its claws seeped into my neck and I cried out in pain. After tugging hard for a good few seconds I eventually hurled it to the ground. It had scratched my neck and cheek and I fingered the wound.

They stared gormlessly at me and I screeched, 'come on!' But they don't comply. With one final snap they vanished in a blink of an eye. Groaning, I kicked the dirt, but gained no satisfaction. What was the plan now? Diligently scanning the area for any further dangers, I almost hoped there was so that there was something to focus on, I find nothing.

Completely clueless as to where I was going, I really needed a map in this place; I dashed in any random direction, attempting to escape the downpour. The fight had taken my mind off my leg, but the thought of the pain on my neck meant that I had to partially limp through the rain, a faint pain threatening to surface. I was soon back on the country lane; the surrounding fields now a lush green. The grass began to grow at an alarming rate, stretching up to the heavens. It reminded me a little of Jack and the beanstalk, but if there was a hungry 'thee, tho, tho-ing' giant up there I was staying well clear. Flowers were blooming in the grass, a cacophony of reds, yellows, blues and lilacs. Reaching heights of about six feet, and it was still growing, I worried that it would burst the barriers like a flood of greenery and sweep me away with it.

Squelching through muddy puddles I looked down in despair at my ruined converse. Halting myself, I decided that I had had enough. Stubborn madam that I am, I folded my arms over my chest, puffing. If this was my world then I sure as hell could have some control over it, right? I opened out my arms, embracing it all, shouting loudly, 'a little help here?'

Right on cue, a black Porsche rolled up the road and came to a standstill to my left. It was still raining and the sky was a blanket of grey, suffocating me. The passenger door popped open and, without hesitation, I slipped inside. Stunned at the driver, I flung myself at him in sheer relief. I worried that my body weight would knock him back, but he was as steady as a rock. Gripping at his jet black hair behind his head, I try to inhale his familiar scent, but the smell of rain floods my senses entirely.

'Fang? What are you doing here?' I asked, still shocked at his presence. Wait... 'Oh my God, are you ok?' I barely breathed. My hands began to feel his form, patting his shoulders and chest. He rested his steady hands on top of mine and gave me a small smile. Gulping loudly, I continued, not soothed by his touch which seemed foreign in this world, 'I mean, are you trapped here too? What about the others?'

My mind began to be swamped with the possibilities, but Fang said calmly, 'I'm taking you home.'

'What do you mean, home? Fang?'

He didn't say a word, but started to drive down the country lane carelessly. He turned up the heater and I stretched my hands out towards them to melt away the cold that ran through my blood. We sat in silence and eventually the rain subsided, the pitter patter becoming sparser until it went completely. I watched his posture carefully. It was relaxed and partially slumping into the seat. He looked the same, exactly the same, but there was something different, something not quite _right_. Noting my gaze, he asked, 'what is it, Max?'

_Careful, Max. Things are never as they seem._

Usually I would tell the voice where to shove it, but I had a gut feeling that I should keep my guard up, even when it was around my right hand man, my best friend, Fang. I shook my head, 'nothing. I'm just so happy you're here.' It wasn't a complete lie. Company was company and any form of Fang right then appeared preferable to none.

Serious, he tucked a stay strand of hair behind my ear and stroked my cheek bone gently. 'You've been missed. The others wouldn't stop asking where you are.' Nodding hesitantly, I could not suppress the sick feeling I felt from his touch. It took all of my energy not to flinch. Nothing was right here. It was all artificial. He removed his hand and set both on the steering wheel, eyes focused on the road, seeming not to notice my reaction.

In no time at all we pulled up on a rocky terrain. He cut the engine and declared, 'home sweet home.'

Very gentleman like, he walked around to my door and opened it for me. Stepping outside, I was hit with a wave of déjà vu. In front of me was our old house in the mountains, the house where Jeb had taken us before he had disappeared, then reappeared and everything went complicated from there. There was the memorable E shape of the building and the familiar décor and... and I actually felt somewhat at home. Sprinting out of the door I was bombarded by bodies, my family: Iggy, Nudge, Gazzy and Angel.

'You're back!' Nudge screamed, throwing her arms around me.

Stepping back from her force, vulnerable from overwhelming emotions, my eyes began to brim with tears. Angel began to tug at my hair, letting it drop on her face. She giggled, 'we missed you sooooo much.'

Gazzy interrupted then, 'you have got to see mine and Iggy's latest project! It is mega cool!' Iggy gave Gazzy a high-five and they began to laugh. Although I kept telling myself that this wasn't real and I shouldn't be weakened from the sight of them, I couldn't help feeling kind of _happy_. Fang interrupted then, leaning in close and brushing his lips past mine. Gazzy eew-ed whilst Angel and Nudge aah-ed and Iggy, well he was oblivious to the whole thing. My guard down, I kissed him back. It wasn't the same, but it didn't seem all together bad either. 'Don't leave us,' he whispered in my ear, his breath tickling.

I looked down at the others, at their hopeful faces and felt that there wasn't really an option. 'I won't,' I stuttered, gripping Angel and Gazzy's hands. 'I won't leave you, any of you, again. I'm so sorry.'

Later that same day, night had fallen, shrouding us in its darkness. Ruffling Gazzy's hair, I kissed his forehead and whispered, 'goodnight.' He was already out like a light and grunted in his sleep. Fang lazed against the doorframe, watching me, his dark eyes, darker than the night sky, followed my every move. I walked to the door and he quickly took my hand, wrapping me into a hug. At first I shrunk away, but, after a moment, I relaxed and wrapped my arms around him. I don't know how long we stood there, but eventually Fang led me into the lounge, sitting me down on the sofa. He slumped down next me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. In this world Fang seemed much more comfortable with these intimate gestures, emphasising to me how this really wasn't him, not the real him.

'It's ok, you know?' he said.

Still in a trance, I forced a smile, nodding, staring at the fire that crackled away in the corner of the room.

Lightly brushing his thumb against my cheek, he assured, 'I'm not going anywhere.'

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><p><strong>AN Hope you enjoyed this chapter :) Please let me know what you think ;) REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW :D:D:D**

**BrownieCrumbs  
>x<strong>


	5. What would you do?

**I do not own Maximum Ride! :D**

**A Lifetime by the Bedside****  
>Chapter 5: Iggy – What would you do?<strong>

'I'm going to kill every last one of them,' Fang swore.

I could hear the unnerving creaking of the chair and envisaged him, in my mind's eye, rocking back and forth, still refusing to release Max's hand. I tried to calm him, resting a hand on his shoulder, but his posture stiffened, so I let it fall to my side.

'We all hate what they did,' I said.

He was hurting, like all of us were. It was only the lucky few who were blissfully unaware of the true danger. I have wisely decided, therefore, that truth is not beauty, but, instead, a hideous thing that we all must come to terms with eventually - unwanted, yes, but necessary for survival.

'They outnumbered us Fang. She practically sacrificed herself for us, and you getting yourself killed is not going to help anyone.'

'I may prefer it to this,' he murmured, sulking.

'Look, will you just stop that?' I yelled, gripping the bed railings. It was cool against my skin, sending a shiver down my spine. I flexed my fingers and bowed my head. I could not see Fang's reaction, but could imagine his shock at my raised voice. Sighing, I bit my lip, 'I'm sorry, 'k? But _this_ is getting you nowhere.'

Luckily, the others were out of the room, searching for something remotely edible from the canteen. Hospitals never do seem to gather that it is a little counterproductive if the patients end up dying from the repulsive sludge they pass off as food; or die of starvation, blatantly refusing to attempt to stomach it.

The others didn't need to see Fang like this. He would mostly talk to Max, but he was able to let his guard down more when it was just me and him, allowing me to look into his head, to understand what he was thinking. I was glad that he felt he could put his trust in me like that, but another part of me hated it. I was being inflicted with his self-loathing, blaming himself for what happened, infuriated with himself because he was unable to save her.

I could imagine her then, taking on what sounded like an army of Erasers. She screamed at us to run. Fang had refused to leave her, but she had shoved him in Angel's directions, ordering through gritted teeth, 'help _her_!' Nudge and Gazzy were already in the sky, hovering, uncertain of what to do.

'_Fang, we have to go,' I called across the yard._

_Angel tapped the back of my hand and we both unfurled our wings, catapulting ourselves into the air. _

'_Max, come on!' Nudge yelled, worry tinting her voice. _

'_They've got us outnumbered,' Gazzy warned._

_I could hear the sound of, knowing Max, an epic battle beneath me. Fists flying, legs kicking, noses breaking, blood dripping; except then, I had only envisaged the Erasers' blood being spilt._

'_Max!' Angel shrieked._

'_Max, oh my God, leave her _alone_!' Nudge squealed, starting to descend to her aid._

_I had no idea what was going on, but everyone I cared about seemed terrified and scared. The only thing I could gather was that we were losing._

_Fang came near then. '_Go_!' he ordered._

_Brushing close to him, I felt Max's arm drooping lifelessly – he was carrying her. We flew fast, just aiming forward._

'_What happened?' I mumbled to Fang._

_He didn't reply, only flew faster, the tips of his wings brushing against my face lightly._

'_She's hurt... bad, Iggy. She's hurt real bad,' Nudge sobbed. _

_I gripped her hand tightly and she latched onto it with all her might. I felt as if I had no control whatsoever. _

The room was deadly quiet for a moment and I smacked my hands to my forehead, hitting it repeatedly, groaning. I began to pace the room, my footfalls heavy, the vibrations from my feet smacking the floor jolting up my legs.

'She might not wake up Fang, you know that. There's no point in deluding ourselves otherwise, even if it would be easier to. But I tell you this...' I stopped and turned my head to where he sat. 'I think there's a damn sight of a better chance that she comes back to us, because she's a fighter, our Max, and she would hate to see you like this.'

The silence drew out...

'Fortunately,' I forced a small laugh, trying to diffuse the tension, 'I can only _hear_ you moan about it.'

Relieving me, Fang began to laugh to. He surprised me, getting up and placing a firm hand on my shoulder – he hardly ever left Max's side. Smiling, I placed a hand on his shoulder too, giving it a squeeze.

'Thank you,' he said seriously. 'I needed that.'

Shoving his shoulder light-heartedly, I grinned, 'what would you do without me?'

Though the real question was, _what would we do without Max?_

* * *

><p><strong>AN Hello fello fanfictionees, or just any random person viewing my work - I love you all the same ;)  
>Thank you for reading, it means a lot :D<br>Fang's been being really 'down and out' lately in my story and I thought that it was about time that good ol' Iggy snapped him out of it ;)  
>Just to assure you, in the next chapters Fang will definately be more responsible as the [temporary?] leader of the flock.<br>Soon! They will move out of the hospital ward, so if you are getting bored of the scenery this should hopefully cheer you up :P**

**Pleeeeeease keep reading and leave a review if you have time to spare ;)**

**BrownieCrumbs  
>x<strong>


	6. Way Out

**I do not own Maximum Ride! :D**

**A Lifetime by the Bedside****  
>Chapter 6: Max – Way Out<strong>

It seemed like weeks seen I'd arrived, or _returned_, to the old E shaped house. There had been no Erasers, no crazed scientists, and no danger. Surreal was what it was. I woke up in my old comfy bed, rolling over lazily onto my stomach, while I inhaled the unmistakably delicious smell of pancakes. I could feel the drool dribbling out of my mouth and onto my pillow, but didn't try to stop it. Some things were truly out of your control.

'Iggy?' I called, yawning, 'bring me some pancakes!'

I thought that, as leader, I should get some special treatment. There had to be some quirks to the job, surely. Iggy didn't seem to be thinking along the same wavelength though. He hit the unit with the spatula and laughed, 'not a bloody chance Maximum!'

He began to cackle, 'it just means that there's more for us.'

Imagining his smug grin, I rolled out of bed, practically crawling over to the kitchen. Greedily grabbing for a plate, already stacked high and mighty with chocolaty gooey pancake goodness, Gazzy stole it from me.

'Careful,' Angel warned, wagging her tiny finger at him threateningly, 'or she'll attack!'

'Yeah,' Iggy yawned, he must have been up early to cook for everyone, 'she's a fighter, our Max.'

I nodded seriously at Gazzy who was eyeing the top pancake with the chocolate sauce oozing out, as if it was reaching out for him, pleading with him, asking him to destroy it. He twitched, feeling the icy temperature of my gaze, and his eyes briefly flitted to mine. Licking his lips, he reached out with his grubby hands. It was as if everything had slowed down, the widening of Gazzy's mouth, like a serpent, preparing to devour its prey; the movement of his fingers, dancing their way to their goal; his eyes bulging in longing for the delight. I was faster though. Jumping onto the counter in one swift movement, I kicked the plate out from his reach. Ha!

'Nooo!' Gazzy whined.

I spat my tongue out at him childishly and he sulked.

Angel, Nudge and Iggy were laughing, but Fang was nowhere to be seen. Shoving a healthy sized amount of pancake into my mouth, I closed my eyes in bliss.

'Iggy, I love you, I mean, seriously, these are _amazing_!' I approved.

I had every intention of taking another bite when Fang walked in. He was in his pyjama bottoms and a plain vest. Yawning in the doorway, his nose twitched like a sniffer dog.

'Breakfast,' he murmured, still half asleep.

His hair was ruffled and messy from sleep. Running a hair through it roughly, he greeted us with a half-hearted 'morning.' Nudge ran up to him and tugged on his vest, 'Faaang,' she charmed. 'Can we pretty please go shopping today? Maybe to Paris, the dogs are mega cute there. The poodles are so fluffy. But oh the shoes are amazing, with like the best fashion designers _ever_ and so many colours and styles and some are glitzy, whilst others are more sophisticated and smart and others are just adorable I could hug them all!'

Fang blinked at her slowly. Nudge tended to talk, you know, without breathing. He patted her head, 'maybe.'

'Maybe? How can there be a maybe? The decision is so obvious!'

Well, she wasn't satisfied.

'And what is that?' Fang asked, accepting a plate from Iggy. He sat down on the stool next to me, giving me a brief smile before turning to Nudge.

'Well, _yes_ – obviously. Please, please, pleeeease! Pretty please? With a cherry on top and _everything_!'

I motioned for Nudge to come to my side. She sighed and obliged. I stroked her thick hair and she leant into me, looking up at my face in hope.

'It's a maybe Nudge,' I said, backing up my right hand man.

Crossing her arms over her chest, she moaned, 'well, fine then. I would have given all of them to _you_ anyway!'

I smiled, but she strutted off to sit next to Gazzy. Ouch – I had been rejected. I dread the thought of her teenage years. Out of instinct I decided to go outside. Fang grabbed my hand as I got up to leave, his eyebrows rose, asking without words 'where are you going?' I smiled and squeezed his hand briefly, 'just going to get some air,' I explained, pointing vaguely in the direction of the door. He nodded stiffly and returned to his pancakes. He's never been one for many words, I thought.

Once outside, I leant against the wall of the house, taking deep breaths. The air was sweet and it was as if some of Iggy's awe-inspiring cooking flavours had infiltrated the atmosphere. I closed my eyes, just enjoying the moment.

_**Max**__._

I unwillingly opened them, groaning slightly. The voice had kindly stayed absent from my mind for a time, but good times never last.

'Max?'

Whoa, I was popular today. Scanning the grounds, I saw Ari in the distance. He was wearing tattered jeans and a green tee – typical young boy. I felt so touched by this sight – that Ari had finally found somewhere to have the life that every boy deserved. Smiling, I walked over to him, although his expression was the complete opposite. He wore a scowl and his jaw was clenched so tight I feared it would snap. Stopping a few feet away from him, cautious, I waited for him to start.

I didn't have to wait long.

'What are you doing?' he asked.

He didn't appear angry, more _disappointed_. That hit me harder than I thought it would. Then again, I wasn't expecting this type of tone from my younger brother. I frowned at him.

'What are you talking about?' I asked, taking a step closer to him. My entire being wanted to comfort him and make him happy like everyone here was. He took a step back, stopping my approach. Hurt, I crossed my arms of my chest and tucked my fringe behind my ear.

'Max,' he said, looking at the ground, 'you need to go.'

My eyes widened at this and I felt a piercing stabbing sensation in my chest.

'What do you mean? I'm not leaving them...' I stuttered, attempting to latch onto something – a purpose for my being here. They were all here and they needed me.

'Stop it!' he screamed.

His face turned a violent red and his fists were clenched into fists. His breathing became irregular and ragged. Dark hair began to sprout from his knuckles and savagely long and jagged claws grew from the whites of his nails. I gasped in horror and took a jagged step backwards. Not Ari, please, don't take him again, I thought.

'Ari,' I barely whispered.

His face was contorted in fury, his eyes bloodshot and his face scarred with vicious slashes.

'You don't belong here Max,' he shouted, sinister, 'this is the wrong world for you. You've forgotten what really matters.'

A strong wind swept past us then, making our clothes flap against our bodies.

'The flock matters,' I defended, taking a deep breath to steady myself.

Glancing briefly in the direction of the house, I fooled myself into believing that the harmonious laughter could be heard from where we stood, the different timbres complimenting one another. By the time I turned back, Ari was only inches away from me and I took in a sharp breath, shocked by his sudden proximity. His face was no longer boyish and innocent, but old and tired, gruesome and bloody, as if he had been in battle. He leant in close to my ear, sending a shiver up my spine.

'They're... not... _real_.'

They're not real. But they were here and... A sob escaped from my chest and when I looked at Ari again he had returned to the normal little boy, his eyes shining with honesty. I had known it all along, but thought it would be easier to ignore it. None of them were real, but I still loved them and didn't think I'd be able to bring myself to leaving them.

'You have to Max,' Ari said calmly, as if reading my mind. 'They're waiting for you.'

He began to walk away then after looking past my shoulder. His eyes had hardened and looked sharply away.

'What about you?' I shouted after him.

He let out a low laugh and looked at me seriously.

'Oh, I'll be around.'

Just as quickly as my last encounter with 'Ari', he vanished, swept away with the wind. Grabbed firmly by the arm, I jumped, struggling against the grip.

'Let go!' I demanded. If someone wanted to mess with me at a time like this they were going to regret it!

'Max. What did he say to you?' he asked quietly.

It was Fang. He released his grip on my shoulder, sighing. He balled his hand into a fist and it shook slightly at his side.

'Wh-' I breathed.

'What did he say to you?' he rose his voice so loud a flock of birds in a nearby tree scattered, flapping their wings hard, trying to escape the commotion. He seemed to have turned furious just as quickly as Ari had and this scared me. Nothing seemed certain here, things were changing too quickly. People were changing too quickly.

My eyes followed the birds, curious as to where they were going, wishing I could follow them. Ari was right, I couldn't stay here. This wasn't real, I told myself.

'I'm waiting,' he muttered impatiently.

My eyes found his black orbs, almost like black holes, drawing me in, threatening destruction.

'That was a private conversation,' I said bluntly, my voice emotionless.

I turned my back to him and took deliberate steps away from him and towards the house. I made it a few metres before Fang caught up and took me by the elbow, steering me off at a tangent. Again, I struggled and even kicked out at him, but he was stubborn and my efforts were futile. Shoving me back against a tree, the air was knocked out of my lungs and I groaned from the sudden impact. Several leaves fluttered down to my feet and I watched as Fang menacingly walked towards me. Using his arm to block me from escaping, he asked again, 'what did that mutt of a brother of yours say to you?'

_**Think fast, Max.**_

Well, that wasn't really very useful, I cursed the voice. Trying to 'think fast,' I blurted out the first thing that came to my head. 'He said that he was glad that I finally found you... all of you,' I corrected. I tried to say it with as much conviction as I could muster, but wasn't sure if it was at all believable.

He seemed to think about what I had said for a moment and then removed his arm, allowing me freedom. I dared not move for a moment, but then Fang laughed quietly to himself, shaking his head. He held out his hand for me to take and, trying to bide my time, I took it, still feeling shaky on the inside, but trying not to show it. Smiling down at me, Fang swung our arms to and fro jokily, definitely not Fang, leading us back to the house.

'I thought...' he started, but then stopped and just continued to smile at me.

I tried to smile back, but it was forced, its sincerity cracking at the edges. My eyes were set up in determination, looking at the sky. Ari had well and truly snapped me out of this fantasy. There had to be a way out of here, I just needed to find it first.

**A/N Thank you for the encouraging reviews :) I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'm sorry it took me a while to update - got exams coming up, so, revision :'(  
>I'll try to update soon ;)<br>Again, all feedback is welcome and much appreciated :D:D:D**

**BrownieCrumbs  
>x<strong>


	7. Bing Bang Boom

**I do not own Maximum Ride! :D**

**A Lifetime by the Bedside****  
>Chapter 7: Gazzy – Bing Bang Boom<strong>

It all happened really quickly. Angel had fallen asleep on Iggy's shoulder and Nudge and Fang were talking quietly, Nudge providing most of the conversation. I yawned, bored, lying flat on my stomach on the floor, looking out of the window, really _really_ wanting to just expand my wings and fly like the wind! But, of course, we could fly much faster than the wind so it's like 'ha! Keep up wind!' Then again, my own supply of wind always seems to give me an extra little boost, if you know what I mean. Wink wink.

So, people were doing whatever when all of a sudden the window shattered, _crash_. Pieces of sharp glass clattered to the floor. I jumped to my feet, my reflexes sharp as a number two pencil. Not having the faintest idea about what was going on, I looked around the room, panicked, my breathing becoming rapid. I spotted a metal canister on the floor. Wafts of yellow gas escaped from it, dancing in the air like snakes charmed by the guys with flutes. It smelt revolting and I almost heaved, but couldn't help admire its craftsmanship. I looked to Fang who was already on the move, dashing here and there. It was like watching a tennis match, trying to follow his movements. He was unclipping the wires from Max, who was still sleeping after all of this time, and cradled her in his arms like when we had first come here.

There was no-one else in the ward because Angel had been her usual persuasive self with the doctors, so it was just us with the smelly gas which was beginning to sooth all of my worries, making me feel very distant.

'Everyone, cover your nose and mouth!' Fang ordered, whilst untangling the final wires. 'Right...' he began to mumble to himself. I barely heard him. My eyelids felt as if they had humongous weights on them, pulling them down shut. _No_, I told myself firmly. I snapped myself out of it quickly, blinking rapidly, willing my eyes to stay open. Fang looked from the window to the fire exit a couple of times before eventually shrugging. Striding forward, he kicked the fire-door in. The fire alarm sounded piercingly and I could hear panicked shouting spread throughout the hospital like a Mexican wave. 'Let's go guys,' Fang prompted, walking through the door with determination.

Everything was beginning to go fuzzy, but I managed to cling to the whitewashed walls, pulling myself towards the door, digging my nails into the plaster to keep myself upright, my knees feeling like jelly.

'What's going on?' Nudge asked, confused, slowly following Fang.

'Why don't we just go out of the window?' Angel whined, pointing to the window which had sacrificed its windowpane. Does that still make it a window?

Fang began to become bombarded with questions which he did not answer straight away; instead he looked quite frustrated, trying to check that everyone was following. A more serious threat, I thought, was us being bombarded with gunfire. Suddenly, whoever it was who was out to get us was letting rip fire. The pillows where Max had rested her head on were pelted with bullets, their fluffy goodness lost. Like darts with deadly precision, the bullets began to shred the room. A vase on the side table shattered and water gushed out onto the floor, the flowers it contained flopping lifelessly to the floor. The walls became decorated in an elaborate design of dot-to-dot and everything was a mess. Too stunned, I stared at the destructive scene, still.

Fang all but hurled me out of the ward in the nick of time, before I was eaten up by the chunks of metal which were tearing through the air. He had his priorities right, seeing as I am very important. Iggy was the last through and slammed the door behind us. I noticed dents appear from where the bullets tried to get through and I gulped loudly, hoping that they wouldn't be successful. I bent over myself, hanging my head between my knees, taking deep breaths of clean air. Nudge placed a supportive hand on my shoulder.

Looking up, I saw that we were in a corridor. The lights hanging overhead flickered nervously, giving the area an eerie atmosphere. The walls were a dull grey, matching the cement covered floor. Very bleak.

It was only a short distance from the final door which would lead to our freedom - a short distance from fresh _air_. This was enough to raise my hopes.

**Bing. **

**Bang. **

**Boom**.

The walls abruptly started to shake like crazy, shaking my optimism out of me, and dust rained down on us, giving us a light murky coating.

'Eew!' Angel squealed, picking a cobweb from off her shoulder.

She is such a _girl_.

It was as if the earth was moving beneath my feet and I expected someone to start yelling 'earthquake!' I found the noise too much. It was pushing down on me and I had to cover my ears with my hands, trying to block out the hullaballoo – that's a funny word.

The fumes from the canister still stuck in my lungs, refusing to leave, and I choked on them. Fang gave me a caring look, but his eyes flitted to the door, knowing that we had to keep moving.

'I'm good!' I coughed, giving a thumb up. I didn't want to hold us up. We needed out.

Fang nodded and started to head towards the door, the lighted sign above it reading 'FIRE EXIT.' Angel took Max's hand which had fallen to her side and he looked seriously at that for a second. He soon recovered though, flicking his hair out of his eyes. I wasn't sure what to make of that. It puzzled me.

Fang shifted Max's weight into his left arm and started to jog faster down the short corridor. Everyone followed obediently. Although the door had only been a few feet away it appeared to have taken forever to reach and I was impatient to feel cool refreshing air on my face. Fang shoved it open with his back, moving backwards through it and I scrambled past him to embrace the outdoors.

The sounds of destruction from the hospital were followed by sweet bird song. The feeling of poisonous gases in my lungs was followed by gulps of fresh spring air. The sight of destruction was followed by... a car park – ok, admittedly not as nice as the little birdies, but it was an improvement. The escape went smoothly, all in all, no life threatening injuries, no men left behind. But, of course, we did _not_ expect a gang of Erasers to circle us after we had moved barely a foot out of the building.

The mutts approached us, determined, with all their swagger. They growled at us angrily, their noses twitching, catching our scent. They were even uglier than I remembered and I thought, 'well, at least I don't look like _that_.' Thank God for small mercies that I am a devilishly handsome young boy. Fang kicked one down which stupidly tried to take him on. _Idiot_. It banged back into a shiny red Volkswagen Golf which was trying to leave the car park. The driver, a middle aged woman with dark hair, began screaming hysterically. The Eraser sneered at her, scraping its claws against the body of the car to strike fear into her heart. It sounded like nails on a chalk board and I grinded my teeth, enduring the nasty squealing. Petrified, the woman put the pedal to the metal, accelerating hastily, sending the Eraser over the windscreen. _Ha!_ The Eraser rolled over the roof of the car before dropping off and hitting the ground with a thud. The car sped away at top speed, the perfect hit and run, clearly exceeding the safety limits of a _hospital_ car park.

'Take that!' I mocked, pointing at the Eraser who had taken the hit.

It was crouched on the ground and its head whipped up, glaring straight at me, bloodlust in its eyes. I wished Iggy and I could have used our most spectacularly amazing inventions yet to blow these suckers up, but Fang had point blank banned explosive material from the hospital. Well, that hadn't stopped the Erasers now, had it? I made a mental note to argue my case to Fang after all of this was over. Whilst the stare off continued, for most, Fang placed Max into Iggy's arms. He appeared surprised at first, resistant to take on the weight.

'You're trusting the _blind_ guy to carry her? _Seriously_?' Iggy muttered urgently.

'None of the others would be able to carry her,' Fang explained. He whispered something to Iggy, never taking his eyes off the Erasers, but I couldn't make out what he was saying over the roaring wind. Iggy looked like he was about to argue, but stopped himself. He nodded stiffly and motioned for us to follow his lead. Unfurling his wings, he U and A-ed, cutting through the air like a rocket. Whoosh!

'Where are we going?' Nudge asked innocently, slowly crawling up to where Iggy hovered above.

'Go,' Fang said, pushing those who remained on the ground away with his arm. It reminded me so much of Max's fight.

Confused, I followed Nudge. The Erasers, baring their yellowed teeth, snapped at Fang then and finally lunged forward. Their claws raked at his face, but he was too fast for them, almost like lightning. Spinning into a side kick, Fang sent an Eraser down. It clutched its stomach and twitched on the ground, gravel embedding itself into its fur. He punched another straight in the nose and you could hear it crunch like fresh autumn leaves beneath your feet. Blood gushed and Fang smiled in satisfaction. I punched my fist up high in the air in triumph.

'Woo! Go Fang!' I cheered, doing a little victory dance.

I was eager to join him and kick some Eraser butt, but when I tried to, Nudge grabbed my collar and shook her head. Why does everyone try to spoil the fun? Fang looked up at us and gave us a wink, before yelling, 'now or never guys!'

Iggy flew off to the west, looking sad, as if he was abandoning Fang. But the others followed, just _leaving_. I continued to look down at the fight scene beneath me though, too absorbed by how cool it was. I was in awe of Fang's mad skills, but gasped as one of the Erasers landed a direct hit. There must have been about half a dozen of them, though half had already been completely and utterly destroyed! Fang winced from the fresh gashes on his cheek and he spat out some blood.

Without looking up, he sensed my being there and called up, 'go, Gazzy.'

Stubbornly, I refused and descended next to him. I was _not_ some lap dog he could just send away at his own will. In the middle of grabbing an Eraser by the neck, Fang gaze me a wide eyed look, _are you insane?_ Maybe I am. Life's more fun that way. I gave him a small smile and took up a fighting stance, clenching my hands into small fists, taking deep breaths. I wasn't going to leave him. Scared – only a little scared – I told myself.

I still didn't fully understand what was wrong with Max, but now everything seemed more serious and people were looking worried and no-one would say _anything_. Things went wrong when we left Max and without Fang too we wouldn't be able to survive. Survival is key, Max always says, and seeing as she is so determined to be right _all of the time_, I have kind of accepted it.

As my brain went into overdrive, I punched an Eraser in the jaw. It whimpered momentarily, but then snapped at me fiercely, fuelled by pain, aiming for my _face_. Swiftly and skilfully, Fang grabbed it by the throat and threw it to the floor. It was completely winded and cowardly crawled away. Fang gave me another one of those looks, _you shouldn't be here._

Just then, an Eraser jumped Fang from behind. Acting on instinct, I kicked it hard in the gut, sending it off its feet and into the air before it landed with a thud. Fang looked over his shoulder at the sight, slightly surprised, his eyebrows raised. _See, _I can be helpful! No need to thank me, modest old me. I was tempted to gloat, but managed to control myself.

I was right to have stayed.

Scanning the area quickly, getting over my lack of appreciation, I saw that the couple remaining grizzlies were retreating, knowing that they couldn't win, because we are _superkids_! _Hell yeah!_

'What did I tell you?' Fang asked seriously, ruining the moment. I could even _feel_ his glare. He clamped a firm hand down on my shoulder and bored his eyes into me.

The Erasers were practically out of sight by now, or lying dead on the floor. The cut on Fang's cheek looked painful, but he didn't let it show. His lip was bleeding too and his eye looked partially swollen, but he'd had worse. I had managed to scrape away with just a few scratches and bruises and I felt lucky.

'Things went bad when we left last time,' I murmured, looking up at him innocently.

He said nothing, only unfurled his wings, and I mimicked his movements. I thought he was mad at me, but he gave me a crooked smile, shaking his head. His only comment, 'your left hook needs some work.'

* * *

><p><strong>AN After gaining some feedback I have made some corrections to this chapter and tried to add more details so that you can really visualise the flock's movements from the hospital to the fight with the Erasers. I hope its an improvement - I think it's better :)**

**Let me know ;) Review/PM :D:D:D**

**BrownieCrumbs  
>x<strong>


	8. Escape Plans

**Disclaimer: I do not own Maximum Ride! :D**

**A/N sorry it has taken me so long to update :) I hope you enjoy the chapter ;)**

**A Lifetime by the Bedside****  
>Chapter 8: Max – Escape Plans<strong>

I launched myself into the air, whipping my wings out in a snap. I caressed the tips of the feathers with my fingers, closing my eyes in bliss. They were soft and silky, no friction against my touch. My fingers could just slip off. The air was still up there, and the sky was a brilliant blue with swirls of pink and purple. It reminded me of something Van Gough would have painted. I almost expected the clouds to be made of cotton candy it looked so mad, but wonderful. Testing my theory, I brushed my hand over the surface; but the white fluffiness dissipated at my touch. Damn, that would have been fun. Sighing, I looked down at the small figure on the ground.

'You planning on joining me?' I shouted down.

Fang swiftly flew to my side without another moment's hesitation. His dark wings shrouded him, making him look very mysterious. Giving me a sceptical look, he asked, 'what's this all about, Max?'

Squinting in the sunlight which cascaded down on us, I digressed, 'how high do you think I could go?'

'Umm, high?' Fang murmured.

Fang has always being one for words – note the sarcasm. Nevertheless, I didn't really care for his words, however few they were. 'Fang' didn't matter. The one thing that did matter though was his reaction. His violent reaction to Ari being here highlighted one thing. Fang didn't want me to leave. He was scared that I would. That meant that it was possible. I was sure of it. His over protectiveness, his caution... He knew_ how_. They say keep your friends close and your enemies closer, and I had every intention of watching Fang with hawk-like focus.

'Let's try it,' I replied enthusiastically.

I laughed at his confused expression, his brow furrowed; and I beat my wings hard, taking deep, steady breaths. I didn't diverge off the path I had planned in my mind. The only direction... up, up, and higher still. If I was going to get out of this world, I needed to explore its extremes. How high? How low? How long? Before Columbus, people believed that the world was flat and that, once you hit the horizon, you would fall for all eternity into space. Space – infinite, dark and lonely above all things.

Craning my neck up, all I could see was sky, more and more bloody sky. I strained my eyes, trying to see beyond. In my mind, I changed gear and used stronger movements to propel myself upwards. It seemed that the colours in the sky were becoming more vibrant the higher up I went. It started out blue, pink and purple. Then, there were oranges and fiery reds - the colours of hell. The distinctive aroma of burning filled my nostrils and I coughed to try and clear it from my lungs. Ironic, I thought, that hell appeared to be above rather than below.

Fang hung a few feet below me, uncertain of my motive. I felt exhilarated that I had one up on him. I had the advantage. The more distressed he became, the closer I was. The closer I was to reality, and the closer I was to the flock.

'What are you trying to prove?' Fang asked, worry tinting his voice.

I nearly choked, he sounded so much like Fang then. I was impressed by my brain's accurate replications of my family. But it made it so much harder that way. Sometimes, just for an instant, you'd forget. I'd be stroking Angel's hair at night, feel her warm breath on my cheek, and everything would just be _too _real.

The air suddenly became thin and my hand instinctively went to my chest while I gasped for breath. I felt dizzy.

'Max?' Fang called.

Oh God. What was happening to me? I wanted Fang here so much. Did he know I was still in here? Did he know that I wasn't going to give up?

I cried out in pain, the piercing noise escaping from my lips before it could be fully processed in my mind. A strange sensation coursed through my wings and I whipped my head from side to side, trying to see over my shoulders. They were _crumbling. _I reached out for them, grabbing at them furiously. They were dissolving into sand which ran through my fingers, no longer silky smooth, but coarse. It reminded me of an hourglass, and my time was running out.

'Max!'

I fell, plummeting to the earth like a meteorite. Then everything went black.

* * *

><p><strong>Fang – Safe house<strong>

Gazzy and I blundered to the ground in a hurry just outside of the barn, a few miles south of the hospital. I had seen it on our flight over and stored the location at the back of my mind in case of an emergency. Public places were always dodgy for us. At least Angel's gifts had allowed us some privacy at the hospital. Part of me, the more cynical and perhaps more dominant part of me, always knew that it wouldn't last though.

It took effort to walk once we were on the ground. That weightless feeling you have when you're flying allowed the pain to subside momentarily, but now it seemed that the pain had been gathering deceitfully, almost like a debt which I now had to pay back. An eraser had landed a powerful kick to my ribs and I thought one might have been broken, the splintered bone stabbing me from the inside. I winced and clutched my side. Gazzy frowned at me. The kid had such an optimistic view on everything. Him and his bubble would float aimlessly throughout life. Humph... I envied him. Forcing a smile, I ruffled his hair and jutted my head up to indicate that he should go inside.

Thunder clouds were forming overhead. Eyeing them suspiciously, I followed Gazzy in and shut the door tightly behind me, the click of the catch comforting me. We were safe... for now at least. The barn was bigger than I thought, though it probably appeared bigger because it was entirely empty aside from the huddle of people in the corner. I exhaled a long, laboured breath when I caught sight of Max. She looked so fragile. I could have sworn she had grown scrawnier since I'd last seen her, wearing aware. She was pale too, her forehead matted with sweat. I just stood there staring at her for a long moment, my expression blank. Iggy glanced up with his sightless eyes, hearing our entrance.

'Fang? Gazzy?'

I cleared my throat nervously. 'Yeah,' I replied firmly.

Pull yourself together, I told myself harshly. Gazzy dashed over to the others and crouched on the floor next them. Taking slow, but steady, steps forward, my eyes roamed the area. The wood appeared rusty, if that was even possible, with flecks of red paint peeling away from the wooden panels. I bit my lip and looked up, the ceiling being very high with beams running parallel to one another. It must have been ancient, I thought in wonderment. I only hoped that it would hold. My feet dragged across the floor and eventually my eyes were drawn to her again. My breath caught in my throat.

Everyone was silent, watching me, then watching Max, then me again. To my relief, I saw her chest steadily rise and fall. I nearly cried in relief. Kneeling beside the others, I leant closer to her and signalled for the others to give me some space while I checked her over. I didn't really know what I was supposed to be looking for really. A bead of sweat trickled down the side of her head, but she felt stone cold and goose bumps covered her arms. Feeling her clammy forehead and checking her pulse, she seemed stable. I prayed that she was stable. Removing my jacket, I lifted her slightly and wrapped it snuggly around her shoulders.

'We're not stupid.'

Huh? I looked up, frowning, and saw Gazzy with tears in his eyes.

'We get that Max – t-that she's not well,' he blubbered.

'Argh,' I sighed, pulling him into a tight hug.

He was smarter than I gave him credit for. I took in a sharp breath as his weight fell against my ribs, but only pulled him in tighter. 'You're right,' I admitted. 'You're not stupid, well, not all of the time.'

Gazzy let out a short laugh, but I could feel his tears dampening my black tee. I held him back from me, gripping his shoulder. Taking a deep breath and fighting back tears of my own, my gaze passed throughout the entire group: Gazzy, Nudge, Angel, Iggy, and finally back to Max.

'I'm sorry I haven't been straight with you,' I explained, guilt evident in my voice.

Iggy reached out and eventually found my shoulder, patting it, continuing for me. 'Max is hurt... and it's bad. We don't know when she'll wake up, but we'll just need to keep her safe until then, ok?'

I liked how he said _when, _as opposed to _if_. I was grateful that he was there. Iggy may be blind, but he saw through me so clearly.

'What if she doesn't wake up?' Angel barely whispered whilst stroking Max's hair.

'She will,' both me and Iggy replied in unison.

'But how do you know?' Nudge asked bravely.

I smiled. 'Because... because she's Max.'

I told the others to start a patrol around the barn, wanting to be alone with her just for a small amount of time. It was selfish, but I needed it. Brushing her fringe away from her closed eyes, I really began to wonder whether she would wake up at all. I didn't know what all of the machines had been for at the hospital, but they must have been important, right? I didn't know how much longer she could last. I didn't know what to tell the others. I didn't know... I didn't know anything. With tears burning in my eyes, I cupped her hand in mine.

'If you can hear me,' I said. 'Then just squeeze my hand. It's right here.'

Foolishly, I actually had some feeble hope that she would. Foolish...

* * *

><p><strong>Max – The one you love most<strong>

My eyes flashed open. I was freefalling into a bottomless pit, a tunnel of jagged rock with crevices and cobwebs surrounding me. I looked around frantically, but there was no escape. My wings were gone. I opened my mouth to scream, but nothing came out. I was being erased from existence...

'Oh really, you do overdramatize things, Max.'

'Ari?' I called out.

My voice. Oh, how I loved the sound of that voice. Suddenly, I was no longer falling, but was being suspended in mid-air. Ari popped up at my side, reclining lazily in the air. With one arm behind his head, he raised his eyebrows at me.

'So, you tried to get out _that_ way...' he said, seeming amused.

'What was I supposed to do? You left me with no clues!' I argued, crossing my arms firmly over my chest.

I was frustrated beyond belief and he wasn't really helping. I couldn't help but feel comforted for him being there though. Damn it.

'It's not a treasure hunt,' Ari replied, laughing at my distress.

I sighed and cast him a glare, narrowing my eyes. The tunnel appeared to be getting lighter which I took to be a good sign.

'It wasn't actually your theory that was wrong though,' he reasoned.

So I was right, I thought triumphantly.

'Don't get ahead of yourself,' he tutted, as if reading my mind.

'But you just said –'

'Something's gone wrong and you don't have as much time as I thought,' he said seriously, interrupting me.

What?

'What?' I asked, gulping loudly.

My mind was suddenly flooded with different possibilities. Was it the school? Had they found them?

'The others have run into a little trouble and have had to move you. Without certain facilities, your condition will deteriorate quickly.' He said it so simply, so calmly, you would have thought that we were chatting about the weather.

'Don't look at me like that,' Ari warned.

'What?' I screamed. 'What the hell am I supposed to do, Ari?'

We began to fall again, to my horror; but Ari seemed to take it in his stride, no fear showing on his face whatsoever. He smiled evilly at me and I actually smiled back. Like a vacuum, we were sucked out of the tunnel and jolted onto our feet outside of the house. I staggered forward and Ari steadied me.

'Thanks,' I muttered.

'You're welcome.'

I looked at the house, overcome with nostalgia, my stomach twisting in knots. It looked more like a prison to me, no longer a home. My thoughts wondered to the flock.

'How can I get back to them?' I asked, on the verge of begging.

And I would have begged. I would have sunk to my knees and pleaded with him to send me back. I would have walked the length of this stupid world to find them. I would have done anything.

'You have to let them go,' he informed, looking straight ahead at the house, his expression indecipherable – a mask.

'What do you mean?'

Moaning in frustration at my slowness, he elaborated, 'you have to accept that they're not real.'

'But I have! I want nothing more than to see the backs of them,' I yelled, pulling at my hair.

Ari let out a bitter laugh. 'That's not true.'

My jaw dropped in exasperation and I could have swung for him. A gust of air whistled past, carrying a familiar voice which I couldn't quite grasp.

'You tuck Angel into bed at night and kiss her on the forehead as if she was your own child. And you hug Gazzy like... a brother.' He paused, and my heart ached for him. 'And whether you like it or not, you love Fang. He's not the same as your Fang. I have to admit that I find this version even more annoying than the other. I mean, he's just so -'

'So what can I do?' I interrupted, not in the mood for his insults.

'You have to hurt the one you love most.'

I felt something around my hand then, a light pressure. I glanced down, but nothing was there. It was like a ghost was holding my hand...


	9. Kiss of Death

**A/N Sorry that it has taken me so long, but this is the final chapter, so I wanted to get it right :)  
>I really hope this conclusion pleases you! R&amp;R! :D:D:D<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: I do not own Maximum Ride! :D<strong>

**A Lifetime by the Bedside  
>Chapter 9: Max – Kiss of Death<strong>

'What do you mean? The one I love most?' I asked.

I looked at Ari, standing there, the body of a young boy and the expression of an aged and tired man. Slowly, he turned his head to me. I nearly expected it to do a full 360 like the exorcist, but no, it stopped directly in front of me. His eyes were dark and unforgiving.

'I think you know what I mean. Or rather, you know _who_ I mean,' Ari said confidently.

I gulped loudly and began to shiver, but it wasn't because of the cold. His expression was hard and so were his words. Suddenly, he snapped his head away and stared at the floor, his eyes boring into it.

'And when you say hurt?' I dared to ask.

'I mean kill,' he said bluntly, shrugging his shoulders slightly.

I nearly collapse. 'Wait, what? I-I can't _kill_ him,' I stuttered uncontrollably. 'W-what are you talking about? Are you _insane_?'

Ari was still staring at the ground, like he's waiting for something, when he screamed, 'That's - exactly - it!' Enunciating every syllable, Ari's tone was one of determination as well as desperation – desperate for me to understand.

'Stop yelling at me!' I screeched. 'I thought you were supposed to be on _my_ side!'

Tears started to cloud my vision. I was violently shaking and felt like my limbs were suddenly going to fall off. My knees buckled beneath me, and I crashed to the floor with a sickening thud. I didn't feel the pain though. I was numbed by his words. Ari crouched down and tugged on my chin so that I had to look at him. His fingers were burning hot, scorching hot, as if branding me. A single tear squeezed out and trickled down my cheek, gaining momentum, no way of stopping now.

'You have to kill him to get back...' He sighed. 'I know you can't stand the idea of hurting Fang, but he's a fake, Max. And if you can't come to terms with that, then you'll never get out of here.' He paused, his eyes watching mine carefully. 'I'm sorry.'

Giving me a pitying look, Ari caught the tear and sighed. He was swallowed up by the ground in a second and my mouth dropped. It reminded me of Alice in Wonderland. He had fallen down the rabbit hole, however I wasn't convinced that he would find himself in an even more crazy and twisted place. I patted the ground next to me, where Ari had been only a second before. But it was solid. Desperately, I pounded the earth with my fists, my hair falling into my face. And I sobbed so hard. I heard the sound of crows circling overhead, batting there wings slowly and eerily. An omen... An omen of death. One squawked and I fell away from the square of ground that I had been pummelling. I scrabbled back rashly, distancing myself from Ari and his words. There were perfect indentations of my fists in the dirt, and I examined my fists, despairing at their scratched and bruised state. Purple splodges were already rising to the surface.

So that was it... The only way I could get out of here was by killing Fang? I had never felt so sickened by anything in my entire life. Bile rose in my throat and I heaved, clutching my stomach. I spat out the acid and breathed deeply, my hands on my knees, my head hung low.

* * *

><p>I sat perched at the edge of the couch, rocking back and forth, staring at Fang. The rest of 'the flock' had gone to bed. It was just me, Fang, and an unconscious Angel who was lying in the corner. It was unnervingly quiet apart from Angel's soft snoring. Fang casted me a sideways glance and smiled. My heart fluttered slightly, and I bit my tongue to distract myself from him.<p>

'I think I should put the little princess to bed, don't you think?' he asked, laughing to himself.

He stood up and looked ready to scoop Angel into his arms.

'Wait,' I demanded, holding out my hand to stop him.

He frowned at me and held his hands up as though I was about to make an arrest.

'I-I'll do it,' I said nervously, cautiously getting up from the comfy seat.

You would have thought that I'd never put her to bed before. Reminding myself to be strong, I picked Angel up, my hands slick with nervous sweat. I placed her over my shoulder tentatively. I didn't lock eyes with Fang and walked speedily to her bedroom. My right leg, which I had been leaning on, was half asleep, so every other step I took was heavy, as if lead had been injected into it, weighing me down. So it went, step, _thud_, step, _thud_... The door to her bedroom creaked as I edged it open. I set her lightly on the bed and just looked at her. I didn't move her hair off of her face. No bedtime story. No kiss goodnight. No goodbye. She smiled innocently in her sleep, but I no longer felt any maternal instincts. As the door clicked behind me, I rested against the door, taking a deep breath.

There was just one thing left to do.

I trod lightly back into the living room, but Fang wasn't there. I forgot how to breathe. All of the lights had been turned off, and I began to wonder if Fang had already gone to bed. Or maybe there had been a power cut. Huh, I naively hoped. My heart began to hammer harder in my chest, like someone was driving the nails into a coffin from within me. With each hit, I shook. It was like a horror film. I knew he was there, but, unless my eyes were deceiving me, he _wasn't_ there. My eyes darted from one side of the room to the other. A collapsed stack of magazines. A toppled over coffee mug. An abandoned shoe. A carelessly flung jacket. The TV screen had become pixelated, rotating black and white dots – millions of them. I couldn't even recall the TV being on a moment ago.

Fang.

I gasped and held a hand to my heart, in shock.

'Christ,' I gasped.

How did he appear out of nowhere like that? There was no whine from the floorboards as he stepped over them. Maybe he glided over them like a ghost. No breath seemed to escape from him. He was silent and still. He was like the morning fog, threatening to choke me, even at this distance. His head was bowed, like the grim reaper. It was like he was already dead.

'F-Fang?' I whispered through dry lips.

No response. I took a step back, knocking into the side table with my leg. I was scared.

'You're going to have to do better than that if you're going to go through with it,' he murmured.

He knew. He had known all along. That's why he had been so angry when Ari was here the last time. He was scared that he'd tell me the truth.

A lump rose in my throat, and then Fang was looking down on me, barely any distance separating us. His breath tickled the top of my head. His chest rose and fell heavily in front of me. His right hand went to his belt loop and I nearly screamed as I saw the reflective glimmer of a blade. With his other hand, he held a slender finger to my lips.

'Shh,' he soothed, his eyes shimmering. 'I thought this might _inspire_ you,' he explained, holding the knife higher, tilting it from side to side, observing it from different angles, even _admiring _it. The blade was thin, but deadly, it's tip sharp.

'I-I don't understand,' I said, my lips moving against the finger which was still held to my lips.

Fang's eyes darted to mine with deadly precision.

'I actually find the touch of your lips strangely erotic,' he said, smiling slyly at me.

My eyes found his and we just stared at each other, but he did not blink once. After a few seconds, our breathing became in sink. Startling me, he grabbed my hand and pressed my palm to his chest. I gasped, and he sighed in a kind of ecstasy. I could feel his heartbeat. It was slow and steady. _Thud thud. Thud thud. Thud thud._

'Your target,' he explained, whispering in my ear.

Intertwining our fingers on his chest, he brushed his lips against them, sending a shiver up my spine. This sudden mysterious and forbidden persona was strangely hypnotic and seducing. He traced his lips up and down our hands and I was frozen in place, watching him. Towering above me, he seemed so dominant. There was an urge inside me to grab him and kiss him. He acted before I did. His lips came down on mine hard and with his free hand scrunched up my hair behind my head, pushing us closer together. I was drowning in him. It had taken me by surprise, and before I could act, he pulled back and laughed spitefully. He knew what I had wanted and I hated myself for it.

'Kiss of death, Maximum,' he cackled evilly.

I didn't know whether he was referring to my death or his. He took several strides back from me, observing me.

'Catch!'

He flung the knife at me, and I instinctively snatched it out of the air without a second thought. I nearly dropped it, thinking of what I must do. My brow furrowed, worry lines forming on my forehead.

'Do you _want _to die?' I asked quietly, confused as to why he was helping me.

He chortled and shoved his hands deep into his pockets, standing casually.

'It's not at the top of my wish list.'

I nodded and experimented with my grip around the knife handle, tight, loose, firm and strong. The weight in my hand repulsed me, but I couldn't bring myself to let it go. To let it go would mean letting the flock go. Fang ran a hand through his jet black hair and sniffed.

'You don't believe in attacking?' Fang questioned, though it sounded more like a statement, calling on a weakness.

I licked my lips which felt chapped and dry. 'Not when I haven't been provoked.' My voice sounded hoarse, as if it was the first thing I'd said that morning, my voice box not fully broken in.

'Fine,' he replied enthusiastically.

I was tackled to the floor, and Fang straddled himself on top of me. I found his weight on me overwhelming. I struggled to breathe. He punched my shoulder repeatedly until I was sure that it was dislocated, a sharp pain ran up my arm and I cried out, kicking at him to get off me frantically, squirming. Yanking my hair, he brought his face close to mine.

'Are you ready yet?' he yelled loudly at me, some spit spraying onto my face.

The knife had fallen from my grip, and I stretched my hand, straining my muscles, to reach it. Grunting, I jutted my knee up abruptly. I got him in the gut and he heaved. Shuffling away from him in a panic, I grabbed the knife tightly and pulled myself up to my feet using the arm of the chair. I panted loudly and winced from the pain in my shoulder.

'Crap,' I cursed.

Fang growled and lunged for me again, his hands outstretched to grab me. _It's not him. He is the enemy. Fang's waiting. _I closed my eyes shut tight and protruded the knife out in front of me, waiting. Waiting for it to be over. The image of the flock, the _real _flock, swooping in large arches in the sky materialised in my mind. Cruelly snapped out of my reverie, I screamed as the blade sunk into his flesh. Blood covered my hands.

'It's ok,' he whispered, sinking deeper into the blade. He grunted a bit from the pain.

I began to cry, but _he_ comforted _me_. 'It's ok.'

* * *

><p><strong>Fang – Awake<strong>

With one hand still in Max's, I used the other to rest my head on. My eyes were drooping, and I could feel warm drool on my fingers. I started to frown. Sobbing. I could hear someone crying? Were the others back already? Frowning, I slowly opened my eyes.

'Max?' I sounded half asleep. I'd been dreaming of her.

Tears were streaming down her face, and she had scrunched herself up into a tight ball, trying to disappear. I blinked several times, trying to clear the sleep away. Max? Max. Max! She was here, she was back. _Please, God, let her be back._ I was overcome with relief, blood pounding in my ears. Pulling her up into my arms desperately, my jacket fell off her and onto the floor. Was I dreaming? Was this some cruel and twisted dream? I could hear the roar of the wind outside the barn, threatening to blow it down. Her tears kept coming and felt warm on my neck.

'Shh. Shh,' I soothed, stroking her hair protectively. 'It's ok.'

She sobbed even harder, and I pulled her closer towards me, cradling her. She felt so small. The moans that escaped her sounded more animalistic than human. I rocked us back and forth repeatedly like a metronome. She was trembling, and, with one hand, I grabbed my jacket, wrapping it around her like a blanket.

'Shh. Shh.'

She snivelled and wiped her nose with the back of her hand. She was quieter then. I wouldn't have said calmer, just quieter. She looked at me for the first time, and I stared into her eyes intently, trying to understand.

'I-I'm sorry,' she whispered, reaching out cautiously for my face, as if she worried I'd reject her.

Wiping the tears away with my sleeve, I cupped her face in my hands and kissed her on the forehead. She was really there. I didn't understand why she was sorry. I didn't ask. She seemed too distressed, too scared. There was movement outside of the barn, and she tensed up immediately. I had never seen her so petrified. Her eyes were wild with fear.

'It's just the rest of the flock,' I assured, rubbing her shoulders up and down, trying to infuse warmth into her. 'You're home.'

She exhaled a long breath – I feared she had been holding it. Wrapping her arms around my neck, she requested urgently, 'Please, just hold me.'

And so I did. I would have done anything for her. The feel of her next to me felt so right. And I just held her. We just held each other. A silence followed, and I focused on the sound of her breathing and the strong, reassuring beating of her heart.

'I love you,' I told her. I couldn't remember the last time I'd told her that, and it nearly killed me.

Nodding stiffly, she hugged me tighter. 'Love you.'

* * *

><p><strong>Max – Guardian Angel<strong>

A few days later, when I had finally calmed down and planted both feet securely in reality, Fang had asked me if I wanted to talk about it. I'd said no, and he accepted my decision without questioning me further. He was being so understanding about everything. I didn't want to dwell on what had been. It was too painful to do so. My primary focus was that I was back. I was home.

I had to keep myself occupied, caring for the flock, on the verge of obsession. Fussing them and mothering them. Often I'd overdo it, but they bared it, because I needed it to cope. Fang had done me proud, caring for them when I couldn't; I was eternally grateful.

Sometimes though, in my dreams, I'd see Ari, watching me. The first time, I feared that I had been sucked back into the other reality. But I'd woken up like every other day. I decided that he was like my guardian angel, my little brother. And he'd have wings in these dreams. I'd make them glorious wings. Glorious wings, with the longest and most magnificent span which glistened in the sun.

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><p><strong>I hope you've enjoyed my story :)<br>Thanks for reading :)**

**COMPLETE :) xxxxxx**


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